


Our Yoko

by Hammocker



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: 2D is a goober, But he's got some spine, M/M, Murdoc is Sleepy, Phase One (Gorillaz), Pre-Noodle, Pre-Slash, The Paula Incident, Working things out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-25
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-10-10 08:17:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10433430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hammocker/pseuds/Hammocker
Summary: Sometimes good things can come from some pretty shite situations.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Holy fuckballs, new Gorillaz album, woohoo, timing! In all seriousness, though, I've been wanting to write something like this for a long while. I kinda miss the relationship dynamics and personalities of Phase 1. Things were a lot chiller then. Was nice. But at least we can still wax nostalgic.

“You gotta talk to him, man, we’re already out a guitar, we can’t keep going without a singer.”

It was a Thursday when Russel brought it up again, this time in their recording studio. Two days after he’d broken Murdoc’s nose and two and a half since Paula had been excommunicated for the greater good. 2D had been holed up in his room for three days and it was starting to get on everyone’s nerves, if Russel’s reaction was a good measure.

“Ah, he’ll be down sooner or later,” Murdoc insisted, tweaking the tuner on his bass. “Little prick likes singing for me.”

“I didn’t come ‘round to hear excuses, Muds.” Russel loomed over him, forcing Murdoc to meet his blank eyes. “You let this mess happen, you gotta fix it.”

“Haven’t I suffered enough for the little moron’s sake?” Murdoc asked, reaching up to rub his nose.

“Nope. You got smacked, but you ain’t fixed nothin’,” Russel said, jabbing a thick finger into his chest. “You better do something, ‘cause if he goes, I’m gon’ bounce too, ya dig?”

Without another word, Russel stamped out of the room, leaving Murdoc to himself. He sat there for a good long minute, lip curled. He wasn’t losing his core band members, _his_ band, not when they were so close to being complete. 

But Murdoc was also _not_ going to go out of his way to talk to 2D about the Paula incident. He’d drag the little shit out to record if he had to, but it wasn’t his job to help 2D out with his “feelings” or whatever went on in that stupid head of his. He wasn’t going out of his way to have any kind of talk with Stu.

Fate having a shitty sense of humor, though, their paths just so happened to cross before Murdoc was forced to take drastic action.

It was an early morning. Murdoc usually didn’t get up until just before noon, but that particular morning, his throat wasn’t having any more booze and was demanding Murdoc go and find milk. Milk, of all the liquid substances in the world. Did they have milk in the fridge? Maybe. Unless someone drank it. ‘Course, there might not be any milk in the first place. He’d pulled on some pants and stepped out of his Winnebago to go satisfy his body’s unwanted demands.

He’d stumbled his way through Kong’s halls, somehow navigating into the kitchen. As luck would have it, 2D was already there, sitting at the table and glaring down at a piece of burnt toast in front of him. Idiot never could get toast right. But then, Murdoc never did much better. He thought about turning tail and leaving right then, but the milk was so close, calling to him from the fridge. And what was the worst faceache could do?

Murdoc padded across the room, all the while keenly aware of 2D’s hideous eyes boring into his back. It was like one of those Scooby-Doo haunted paintings that you knew was looking at you, but you could never put your finger on why. Except Murdoc knew exactly why.

He tried to brush it off, opening the fridge and taking a long moment to stare inside. Bottled water, leftover ham, a lizard, a stray ice tray, a jar of eyeballs and hot dogs, and plenty of live clutter, but no milk in sight. Murdoc was shit out of luck and all the while, he had a moron staring daggers in his back.

“What?!” he finally squawked, whipping around to face 2D.

2D didn’t respond right away. He was definitely looking at Murdoc, and he hadn’t stopped glaring. It amazed Murdoc how pissy 2D could look if tried. He could have been intimidating if he weren’t so damn scrawny.

“That was a shit thing you did, you know,” 2D finally growled, his voice a far cry from his usual cockney falsetto.

And all chances of getting in and out without any friction were out the window. Lovely.

“Yeah,” Murdoc agreed with a nod, feeling his burst of frustration melt away. Pretty boy had a point. “Yeah, it was, I’ll give you that one.”

“Woulda expected it from you.”

“Well, I guess you’re not quite as dumb as you look,” Murdoc said, giving a cackle at his own joke.

“Yeah. You’re some kinda womanizer, you got that- that somefink that- it’s like a tart magnet.”

Murdoc nodded along with Stu’s words, smiling a drowsy smile. It was high praise from where he stood.

“But I didn’t expect it from her. I didn’t think she’d do anyfin’ like that,” 2D kept on, like he expected Murdoc to care. “I keep finkin’ myself in circles.”

“Don’t hurt yourself,” Murdoc mumbled. “That’s my job,” 

His words didn’t seem to penetrate 2D’s thick skull.

“I mean, I liked her, and she liked me, I fink, so why’d she go behind my back like that? Did I do somefin’? Did I say somefin’ mean? I wanted to be with her for a while. I wanted...”

He trailed off, his train of thought having given out, it seemed. Big shock there.

“Never get too attached to anything, Stu,” Murdoc said, stepping up and sitting across from him, legs splayed. “Pair a’ socks or a bird like her; you’ll end up losing it sooner or later.”

“You really fink that?” 2D asked, his voice creeping into the high pitch that Murdoc was used to.

“I know it.” Murdoc cracked a grin then. “Bought some new socks the other week and now I can’t find the bloody things anywhere.”

2D broke out in a chuckle, exposing his missing front teeth. If there was one thing Murdoc liked about 2D, it was that he was easy to get a smile out of. It was easy to make him shout in pain and fold up into himself too, sure, but there was something about having a happy moment with his singer. And Murdoc didn’t like happiness at all. 2D was something else, that was for sure.

“I just-” 2D’s smile faded again, transitioning into a sad little frown. “I mean, if she did that, she wasn’t much good anyway, was she?”

“No-o,” Murdoc drawled. “She wasn’t much to look at, that’s for sure, and she was a bit, eh, weird.”

2D bit his lip and stared blankly at Murdoc for a long stretch, like was analyzing Murdoc’s statement down to its very core. Who knew? Maybe by the time 2D was done, he’d have some philosophical wisdom to share with the world, stuff that’d make everyone happier and bring about nirvana or some spirit crap.

“You’re weird,” he declared once he’d finished his meditation.

“I’m very weird, but I’m weird and I have a plan. Paula was so off she couldn’t plan her way out of a paper bag. And I make a better guitarist any day’a the week.”

“I guess.” 2D poked his chin at the thought. “So- it’s not really much of a loss.”

“No, no, don’t go worrying your pretty boy head. Just a little stumbling block, I’ve dealt with worse, I’ll ‘ave you know.”

“Oh.” 2D smiled again, smaller this time, but with honesty. “Then you think we can get recording again soon?”

It was moments like these that Murdoc really understood why he’d picked 2D as their designated frontman. Fella was cute as a blueberry muffin on a cold day.

“Aw, luv, and here I thought you’d never ask,”

“Yeah. Gettin’ kinda boring, just sitting around.”

“We’ll get to it right this afternoon, how’s that sound?”

“Sounds right to me.”

2D’s face contorted in thought once again, his eyes scrunching up. Murdoc almost wished that he could listen in on his thoughts; understand what went on behind those darkest of dark eyes. Not much, probably.

“Sorry ‘bout your nose,” 2D said with a frown. “Even if you deserved it. Russel shouldn’a hurt you like that.”

“You’re just a darling, you know that?”

“Not really, no.”

“Well, you do now,” 

“I- I might forget,” 2D warned. “Could you just, y’know, remind me every now and again?”

Murdoc studied him with one eye squinted. It sounded a bit like 2D was being coy, but then, Murdoc had never thought that he was smart enough obfuscate like that. Too honest, too guileless, too stupid. Maybe there really was something going on between those ears. Not like Murdoc was about to say no anyway.

“Sure, sure,” he accepted easily. “Don’t want anything slipping through the cracks, do we, darling?”

“Used to lose mosta my pennies down cracks,” 2D confessed, reaching up to scratch his head. “Guess that’s why you’d better handle the money.”

“Suppose that’s true,” Murdoc allowed, giving a chuckle. “Don’t ever change, faceache.”

“I won’t if you won’t.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m not looking to.” Murdoc extended his hand out across the table. “Call it a deal.”

2D gave his hand a cautious glance before lifting one spindly arm up to grip Murdoc’s hand with his own. They gave one solid shake, but held for a moment after that. 2D let his jaw fall open with a smile, showing off the crooked-as-could-be teeth. Not like his own mouth was any better. Murdoc returned the look with a snicker.

They finally let go after an uncomfortably long period of hand-holding. You weren’t really supposed to shake that long with anyone, even your mates, but who was gonna see? 2D sat back in his chair, shoving his hands in his pockets and staring out over the landfill below. Murdoc relaxed much the same, but kept his eyes forward. Even if he hadn’t gotten his milk in the end, Murdoc wasn’t so shallow that he couldn’t appreciate a quiet morning alone with his singer. Wasn’t like it was gonna happen again anytime soon, so might as well savor it.

**Author's Note:**

> They're gonna change. As people do.


End file.
